New Beginnings Fellowship - Rio Linda https://newbeginningsfellowship.org Sun, 11 May 2025 00:22:00 +0000 Sun, 11 May 2025 00:22:00 +0000 hourly 1 3600 SnapPages.com Day 1 — “Our Father”: The Way God Wants to Be Known Deonte Walters https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2026/01/12/day-1-our-father-the-way-god-wants-to-be-known Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:40:19 +0000 https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2026/01/12/day-1-our-father-the-way-god-wants-to-be-known

Day 1 “Our Father”: The Way God Wants to Be Known

Scripture: Matthew 6:9–14
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well.

The disciples approach Jesus and ask Him a very important question. Notice, they did not ask Him how to perform miracles or how to draw a large crowd. They asked Him how to pray. Again and again, they had watched Jesus withdraw from the noise and the demands of ministry to go to quiet, lonely places. They saw Him leave early in the morning or stay behind late into the night to speak with His Father.

What perhaps stood out to them was not merely that Jesus prayed, but how He prayed. There was a real intimacy, a familiarity, and depth of communion that was unlike anything they had ever seen. This was not a ritual prayer. This was relationship.

The disciples sensed that Jesus' power flowed from His prayer life, and that His prayer life flowed from His unique relationship with the Father. So, they came to Him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

And what Jesus said was absolutely radical to first century Jews. He does not begin with technique or posture or length. He begins with identity: “Our Father.” Before He teaches them what to say, He teaches them who God is, and who they are in relation to Him. Prayer, Jesus shows us, is not first about getting words right; it is about approaching the right God in the right way.

For first-century Jews, this was radical. God was Yahweh—the Holy One, the Almighty, the God who dwelled in unapproachable light. Yet Jesus reveals that God is not only transcendent, but immanent.

Jesus alone is the eternal Son of God by nature. What belongs to Him by right is now given to us by adoption. Through His obedience, death, and resurrection, sinners are welcomed into the family of God by grace through faith in Christ alone.

This should change your prayer life entirely. You are not begging God for attention. He is not annoyed by your constant pleading and crying out to Him. You are not trying to earn His favor. You are speaking to your Heavenly Father who loves you. He already knows your needs and has set His love upon you; and He will not withhold any good thing from you.

This does not mean that we can approach our Heavenly Father in a casual, careless, or flippant way- but confident, reverent, and bold as a child who runs to a loving father without fear.

Prayer:
Father, teach me to come to You as You truly are—not as I fear You might be, but as You have revealed Yourself to be. Help me pray with reverence and trust, knowing I belong to You through Christ. Amen.

]]> https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2026/01/12/day-1-our-father-the-way-god-wants-to-be-known#comments 0 Love One Another Deonte Walters https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/08/25/love-one-another Mon, 25 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000 https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/08/25/love-one-another

Love One Another

What makes the church stand out in a world filled with division, hatred, and self-centeredness? Is it the buildings we meet in? The programs we run? The theological creeds we confess? All of those things have their place, but Jesus gave His disciples one distinguishing mark:

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
— John 13:34–35


Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “By your doctrinal statements everyone will know,” or “By your evangelistic zeal everyone will know.” Both doctrine and mission matter deeply, but Jesus said love would be the badge of belonging.


The Context of the Command

To feel the weight of these words, we need to picture the scene. Jesus is in the upper room with His disciples. He has just washed their feet (John 13:1–17)—a shocking act of humble service from the Master to His students. He knows Judas is about to betray Him (v. 21). He knows Peter will deny Him (v. 38). He knows the cross is hours away.
And in that moment, with the shadow of Calvary looming large, Jesus gives His followers a “new command”: Love one another as I have loved you.
The command isn’t new in the sense that God had never told His people to love before (see Lev. 19:18). It’s new because of the standard—“as I have loved you.” Never before had the Son of God come in the flesh to demonstrate love in such radical, sacrificial ways. Jesus redefined love by embodying it.

Love Defined by the Cross

The gospel gives us the clearest definition of love. John, who heard Jesus speak these words, later wrote:

“This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
— 1 John 3:16, CSB


Love is not merely an emotion. It’s not sentimental mush. Biblical love is a rugged commitment to seek the good of another, even at great personal cost. The cross is the measure and model.
  • It’s sacrificial. Jesus didn’t love from a distance; He entered our mess, bore our sin, and died in our place.
  • It’s unconditional. Jesus didn’t wait for us to get our act together. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
  • It’s intentional. Jesus chose the cross. Love doesn’t happen by accident; it’s a deliberate act of will.

If our love is defined by the cross, then church life can’t be about convenience. Loving one another will stretch us. It will require forgiveness when wronged, patience when annoyed, generosity when it costs us, and endurance when it’s hard.

Love Demonstrated in Community

The “one another” command assumes relationships. Christianity is not a solo sport; it’s a team endeavor.

A Family, Not an Event

Too often, church is reduced to a Sunday event—songs, sermon, and out the door. But the New Testament vision is far richer. Believers are called “brothers and sisters” over 200 times. We are “the household of God” (1 Tim. 3:15).
In a healthy family, love isn’t theoretical. It shows up in daily life—meals shared, burdens carried, apologies made, laughter enjoyed. Likewise, the church is to be a community where love is seen, felt, and experienced.

Practical Expressions

How do we demonstrate this love? Scripture gives us dozens of examples:
  • Encourage one another (1 Thess. 5:11).
  • Forgive one another (Eph. 4:32).
  • Serve one another (Gal. 5:13).
  • Carry one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2).
  • Be devoted to one another in love (Rom. 12:10).
These aren’t abstract ideals. They’re nitty-gritty, everyday actions. Love shows up when you bring a meal to a sick friend, babysit for a single mom, or call a brother who’s drifting.

Love Declared to the World

Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Love is not only for the benefit of the church; it’s a witness to the world.

Love as Apologetic

In a culture marked by polarization and hostility, a community of diverse people loving one another is countercultural. When the world sees Democrats and Republicans, rich and poor, old and young, all worshiping together in unity, it notices.
The early church grew not because they had political power, but because they had a powerful love. Tertullian, a second-century church father, said unbelievers marveled, “See how they love one another.”

Love and Mission

Our evangelism loses credibility if it isn’t backed up by love. You can’t proclaim a God of love while treating people with indifference or bitterness. Our gospel preaching must be paired with gospel living.

Who in your life could see the love of Jesus through you this week? Maybe it’s a neighbor, or a co-worker. Your love may be the sermon they need before they ever step into a church.

Obstacles to Loving One Another

Of course, love isn’t easy. If it were, Jesus wouldn’t have had to command it. What keeps us from loving one another?
  • Selfishness. We default to asking, “What’s in it for me?” rather than, “How can I serve you?”
  • Bitterness. Past wounds make forgiveness difficult.
  • Busyness. Our schedules leave little margin for meaningful relationships.
  • Pride. We think we’re above certain people or tasks.
The gospel addresses each obstacle. Christ died for our selfishness, forgave our bitterness, reoriented our priorities, and humbled our pride. By the Spirit, we can love as He loved.

Love Displayed through Forgiveness

We can’t talk about loving one another without addressing forgiveness. Paul writes:

“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.”
— Ephesians 4:32


Forgiveness is one of the clearest demonstrations of love because it’s costly. It means absorbing the debt instead of demanding repayment. It means choosing reconciliation over revenge.

Corrie ten Boom, a survivor of the Holocaust, once encountered a former Nazi guard who had abused her sister. He asked for her forgiveness. Corrie wrote that she froze, unable to extend her hand. But silently, she prayed, “Jesus, help me.” And in that moment, she felt Christ’s love flow through her, enabling her to forgive.

Only the gospel can empower that kind of love.

Love Displayed through Service

Jesus didn’t just tell His disciples to love one another; He showed them by washing their feet (John 13:1–17). In that culture, foot washing was the lowest job. Yet the King of kings picked up a towel.

Service is love in action. It might mean setting up chairs, teaching kids, visiting the elderly, or cleaning up after a meal. No task is beneath us if Jesus stooped to serve.

Ask yourself: Am I more concerned with being served or serving? Where can I pick up a towel this week?

Love Sustained by the Spirit

Here’s the good news: Jesus doesn’t just command love; He supplies the power to love. Love is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). That means it’s not manufactured by human effort but produced by divine power.

The Spirit takes the love of Christ displayed at the cross and pours it into our hearts (Rom. 5:5). He gives us new affections, new desires, new strength to love even when it’s hard.

Love and the New Creation

Finally, our love for one another points forward to eternity. The church is a preview of the new creation, where every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship the Lamb in perfect unity.

When we love one another across boundaries of race, class, and culture, we give the world a foretaste of heaven. As John says:


“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”
— 1 John 4:7


Conclusion: The Call to Radical Love

So, why does “love one another” matter?
  • Because the cross defines love.
  • Because community demonstrates love.
  • Because the world notices love.
  • Because only the Spirit empowers love.
  • Because love previews the new creation.

Jesus has loved us with a relentless, sacrificial, forgiving love. And now He says, “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Reflection Questions

  • How have you personally experienced Christ’s love recently?
  • Who in your church family needs to experience your love this week?
  • What obstacles keep you from loving others, and how does the gospel address them?
  • How might your love for fellow believers serve as a witness to your unbelieving friends and neighbors?

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]]> https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/08/25/love-one-another#comments 0 Why the “One Another” Commands Matter Deonte Walters https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/08/22/why-the-one-another-commands-matter Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:25:21 +0000 https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/08/22/why-the-one-another-commands-matter

Why the “One Another” Commands Matter

If you’ve been around church for any length of time, you’ve probably heard the phrase “one another.” It pops up all over the New Testament. Love one another. Forgive one another. Encourage one another. Serve one another.
It’s easy to breeze past those little phrases, but together they form a powerful portrait of what gospel community looks like. These are not throwaway lines. They are commands—thirty or so times in the New Testament—showing us that following Jesus is not a solo project.

Gospel Community: A New Family

The gospel doesn’t just reconcile us to God; it also reconciles us to people. In Christ, strangers become brothers and sisters. Enemies become friends. Outsiders become family. Paul puts it beautifully:

“For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace.”
— Ephesians 2:14–15


When Jesus saves you, He doesn’t just hand you a ticket to heaven; He brings you into His family. And in that family, how we treat one another matters deeply.

The World’s Way vs. Jesus’ Way

Our culture prizes independence. We celebrate self-reliance. “Do your own thing.” “Look out for yourself.” But the gospel calls us into something radically different: a life of interdependence.
Think about it: you can’t “love one another” in isolation. You can’t “encourage one another” on your couch by yourself. You can’t “forgive one another” if you never engage with messy, real relationships. The “one anothers” force us out of selfishness and into self-giving love.
Jesus told His disciples:

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
— John 13:34–35


Notice the weight of this: our love for one another is the apologetic to the watching world. The church doesn’t prove its authenticity by slick marketing or polished programs, but by sacrificial, Spirit-enabled, gospel-rooted love.

Why This Series?

So, why spend time studying these commands? Because the health of our churches depends on it. The New Testament vision for community isn’t simply “show up on Sundays” or “be nice to people.” It’s a call to radical, Christlike love worked out in everyday relationships.
Over the next several posts, we’re going to walk through some of the key “one another” passages—love, encouragement, forgiveness, service, hospitality, and more. My prayer is that as we do, you’ll see how each of these commands flows out of the gospel and points us back to Jesus.
  • He loved us first, so we love one another.
  • He encouraged the weary, so we encourage one another.
  • He forgave our debt, so we forgive one another.
  • He carried our burdens to the cross, so we carry one another’s burdens.
When we live this way, our churches become outposts of the kingdom—places where the beauty of Christ shines through our relationships.

A Challenge

As we begin this journey, let me ask you:
  • Do you view your church as a family or just a weekly event?
  • Are you actively pursuing the “one anothers” or passively attending on the sidelines?
  • What would change if you believed that your love for fellow believers was the very evidence of your discipleship?
Friend, the “one anothers” are not optional. They’re gospel commands. They’re the Spirit’s blueprint for a Christ-centered community. And they matter because Jesus matters.
Next time: We’ll begin where Jesus began—Love One Another.

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]]> https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/08/22/why-the-one-another-commands-matter#comments 0 A Psalm for Thanksgiving. Deonte Walters https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/05/11/a-psalm-for-thanksgiving Sun, 11 May 2025 00:22:00 +0000 https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/05/11/a-psalm-for-thanksgiving
1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.
3 Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:1-5)

Known affectionately as "Old Hundredth," this psalm praises Yahweh joyfully, calling all the earth to worship him.
It is not without reason that the Psalmist calls us to worship Yahweh. We should praise Him because of who He is. For He is Lord (v. 1), God (v. 3a), Creator (v. 3b), Shepherd (v. 3d), good (v. 5), merciful (v. 5), and faithful (v. 5).

As well as giving us many reasons to worship Yahweh, the Psalmist tells us how to do it. The Lord wants us to shout with joy (v. 1), serve Him gladly (v. 2), sing before Him (v. 2b), give thanks to Him (v. 4a), and bless His name (v. 4b).

On this Thanksgiving Day, be sure to enjoy time with your family and friends. Eat lots of delicious food. Most importantly, give thanks to God for all these blessings!

]]> https://newbeginningsfellowship.org/blog/2025/05/11/a-psalm-for-thanksgiving#comments 0